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SAMSUNG SDS to Enter the Japanese IC Card Market

Samsung SDS exports its IT technology to Japan Samsung SDS (CEO: Kim Hong-Ki) announced on 30th that it signed an agreement for Korea-Japan IC card business cooperation with FEC, a Japanese IT technology developer, and Kasamathumeiki, a medical supplies provider, under which it will export IC card and related systems to Japan. Under the agreement, Samsung SDS will provide medical IC cards to Kasamatsumeiki, one of the 16 medical supplies providers in Japan. - If the provided IC cards are adopted as the Japanese standard, there is high chance that the IC card would be used for the Japanese electronic registration card project (announced in August 2000) slated for 2001 as Ishiguro, CEO of Kasamatsumeiki is the sitting president of the Japanese Association for Medical Supplies. Samsung SDS said it plans to provide a new type of IC cards, which combine the existing IC cards with wireless technology, through technical cooperation with FEC, the Japanese wireless technology developer. The company will first provide 6,000 units of pilot IC cards per month and later will export 0.2 million units per month to Kasamatsumeiki from January 2001. - In addition, Samsung SDS will have the patent rights in the local market for the wireless antenna chip technology developed by FEC, which is essential to add electronic registration and electronic money capabilities to the IC cards. The two companies will jointly exhibit their products at "Comdex Fall 2000", scheduled for November in Las Vegas. - The agreement is meaningful in that it reflects the spirit of the Korea-Japan IT cooperation initiative adopted by President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori during their summit meeting on September 23. "I hope this business cooperation will set the stage for active cooperation between Korean and Japanese IT businesses," said Samsung SDS CEO Kim Hong-Ki. "We are very pleased to form an alliance with Samsung SDS, which has advanced technology in the IC card sector where semi-conductor chip production technology is very important," Ichihoka, president of FEC said. "For the Japanese electronic registration card project, officials from Kanazawa City of Ishikawa prefecture will visit Samsung SDS in December." Meanwhile, the signing ceremony, which was held at the head office of Samsung SDS, was attended by Samsung SDS CEO Kim Hong-Ki, FEC President Ichioka Kunioki, Kasamitsumeiki CEO Ishikuro Hiroaki, and Shin Sang-in, president of Dasung Heitek, a Japanese subsidiary of FEC. Sadake Wataru, branch manager of Kitakuni bank, Kumoto Tadashi, president of Medical Think Tank Inc., Managing Director Arima from Fukujin and Senior Managing Director Moroo from Moro, and more than 10 related officials participated in the ceremony, showing strong interest in the IC card business.